Persephone's Renascence
by MadMenagerie
Summary: She has one more chance, one more opportunity to set things right; to reverse the destiny of Remnant caused by a thief who robbed her of her true powers. [Rating and character list subject to change]
1. Prologue Lost

Darkness.

It surrounded her, it enveloped her inside and out.

Where was she?

It was cold and hollow.

How long had she been here?

She didn't remember where she was before…

* * *

 _Pyrrha Nikos._

Her name felt like a warm blanket spreading over her consciousness. She shivered against the darkness and wrapped her arms around herself. It all came rushing back so fast. The battle at Beacon, Amber's powers going into that wretched Cinder woman, running, and... Jaune. Their kiss exploding through her spirit, momentarily bringing color to her form. She had kissed him and he had kissed her back, the memory of his hands wrapping around her waist and the softness of his lips pressed against hers solidified the last bits of weariness from her soul.

Everything was coming back so clearly, images flashing before her so fast she was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up. The kiss, her shoving him into a locker, running toward the tower, to Cinder, to her death. The image of Cinder's arrow streaming toward her made her gasp and a familiar pain in her chest blossomed. She moved her hand over her heart, reliving the fear and sorrow, and the bitterness of failure. Was this what she had been destined for? All her power and ability only to go to waste? It made her so angry. No! It couldn't be right! This didn't feel right at all, she knew in her whole being that she had a bigger task to serve Remnant than succumbing to a thief and fraud.

She looked around but only the depth of black met her gaze. If she had died, where was she now? She straightened her body, or what would have been her body, into a standing position and felt hardness at her feet. A floor? She felt both frustrated and lost, was this all death was? An empty room for eternity? She hesitantly took a step forward, then another, and another. She had no idea where she was going, if she was even going anywhere at all; but there was nothing else to do but keep moving forward.


	2. Chapter 1 Illumination

The sounds of her footsteps echoed in the darkness as she continued walking, it felt like forever with no difference in scenery. Her concept of time was majorly off though, with no basis of it here she had no idea how long it had really been. It could have been minutes, days, months… She didn't want to think any farther than that. The thought of her teammates and friends living their lives without her while she was stuck in this strange abyss made her chest tighten painfully. It certainly did feel like a long time though. The only upside was that she was never tired, never hungry; but it was also beginning to make her feel numb, like she made of nothingness. She didn't like to think about that and pushed it out of her mind whenever it snuck its way in. She had to keep walking, she couldn't let this absurdity drive her insane.

After endless walking, something off in the distance caught her attention and those thoughts were immediately dropped from her mind. It wasn't a much lighter color than she was used to, but stark against the deep blackness of everything else. For a moment she was surprised she'd seen it at all as she ran to the only speck of texture she'd seen since she awakened here. Her pace slowed as the shape came into focus, growing bigger and more detailed with every step. Its dark brown hue was glossy and reflected some dim light and she stopped in front of the object, relieved and amazed. She circled it, running her fingers over the ornately carved armrests, along the high back, sharp peaks on each side. She revelled in the sensation of plush black velvet against her translucent fingertips. It was a chair, made of teak if she could hazard a guess. The entirety of its frame carved into elegant leaf patterns and the high narrow back flowing into a rounded carved crest at the top with a skull in its center.

She looked around her for any other objects but there was nothing. Just this one chair, almost waiting for her to take a seat. She stood in front of it once more, staring at the welcoming cushioned velvet. What would happen if she took it up on its offer? A foreboding seemed to surround it, but what else could she do? Her other option was to continue walking in the never changing void, hollow and vast. Would she even have another opportunity if she passed on this strange invitation? She concluded that however strange and ominous this chair was, she didn't have anything to lose by sitting in it. At the very least she could rest and feel something for a change. She twirled around so that she was now facing away from it and closed her eyes. With a deep breath she lowered herself into the chair, preparing herself for whatever may happen.

Instantly the sensation of solidness soaked through her entire body, her eyes opening to reveal that her hands were no longer a hazy light but as real and corporeal as they should be. She held them in front of her and curled her fingers inward to feel the skin of her own palms. Even stranger still, was the other objects forming around her. It was as if light and color were seeping into an environment that already existed around her. A large matching wood table formed from the ground up in front of her along with a second chair on the other side of it. Arched walls formed in the same manner around her, life just seemed to drain upwards into this new room. Warmth radiated from a newly formed fire in a fireplace directly next to the table at which she was sitting, a large rectangular mirror framed in ornate filigree wood adorned the mantle space above it. She began to feel uneasy and kept looking around her, taking in every new detail as it appeared. Black velvet curtains draped along the arched walls around her covering the empty spaces underneath, and wrought iron candle stands took their place in corners, dimly illuminating the boundaries of the room. She looked down at the table she was sitting at to witness a shallow black ceramic bowl form in the center, filling the golden inside with large red pomegranates. A beautiful display of flowers slowly surrounded the bowl; it was mesmerizing as much as it was eerie.

The clicking of shoes against the stone floor alerted her attention forward, into the dark abyss of curtains that lined the wall nearest the empty chair. She had no idea who was now in the room with her, who claimed this abysmal space; she suddenly felt like she didn't wish to know. She felt frozen to the regal chair, waiting for the firelight to reveal the person behind the ever closer footsteps and as they went on a figure against the shadows began to take form. She continued to stare confidently in that direction, determined not to let her fear show.

"Pyrrha Nikos." A deep and smooth male voice echoed through the room and the figure finally took on clarity. A tall man, well dressed in all black; from his black satin shirt and silk tie to his pressed dark pants and jacket adorned with flowers embroidered with a shiny black thread. His skin was pale and almost waxy, like a fresh corpse. His jet hair was slicked back impeccably, the long strands grazing the back of his neck. His hands rested on a black and silver cane, the metal skull on top peeking through his ghostly fingers. Her breath caught in her throat as she scanned him, finally looking at his face. A wide, toothy grin dominated his features, competing only with his cold eyes that seemed to dance with purple fire.

Whoever this man was, he had the most powerful and intense aura she had ever felt, and he knew her by name.


	3. Chapter 2 Realization

The air between them seemed electrified, she could almost feel his aura hitting hers like tidal waves and defiantly pushed hers back to clash with his. She held her head high, her eyes locking with his strongly. The first thing she learned in life was to never show your weakness to an opponent. A confident stare was half the battle, and she always intended to win.

He stood there a few moments, his grin dissolved into a hard scowl. He held his cane directly in front of him, resting both hands on the nob. His stance commanded authority and her obstinance declined to obey that authority. Her intensity was certainly not something he was used to and it was almost unsettling for a mortal being to not cower beneath him. But, then again, he knew she wasn't an ordinary mortal being. His grin reappeared and he took a few more steps into the light of the fire.

"Welcome, my dear." He raised both hands outstretched, the walking stick in one, to welcome her gallantly into his palace. She said nothing, only her eyes followed him with her head still held straight and her features held no emotion as he walked up to the empty chair across from her. Anger flared through him at her defiant disrespect but he held back, clicking his fingers to free the hand that was holding the cane. "It would benefit you," He drawled, "to show some manners."

Pyrrha kept her gaze strong, he was directly across from her now, leaning forward with his hands on the back of the empty chair in front of her. She certainly did not want to offend this powerful man; as a guest, or captor really, in wherever this was. 'I apologize." Came her steady voice, speaking formally. "Thank you." His mouth curved into a sneering smirk, his eyes relishing her polite recognition of whatever gratuity he had provided.

"Better." He nodded his head forward in approval and stood back up away from the chair. He placed his hands behind his back, pacing around the table so that he was behind her. "I'm very sure you are curious as to why you are here." He wasn't wrong, of course she was curious; but she continued to look forward, her back as straight as possible and unwavering.

"Indeed." Came her reply. He smiled, though she didn't see as he was behind her. He was enjoying this immensely, her style was impeccable and he appreciated her formality and sophistication. She acted like the goddess she had been destined to be, before that witch of course. He was right to bring her here, he was right to think of this solution. His acrid laughter rang in her ear, echoing through the stone room and it's many marble arched walls.

"You know, you're a very special little human Miss Nikos." Her facade broke slightly and she tilted her head in surprise. How could that be? She didn't have silver eyes like Ruby, she didn't even become the Fall Maiden. She utterly failed fighting Cinder, She had been so wrong in her convictions, she was nothing. Her doubts aside, she let him continue. "See..." His voice suddenly becoming serious. "You left part of your soul on Remnant." He walked out from behind her, now on her right side, staring into the fire. He let those words sink into the atmosphere for a minute. Had she even known what she was doing when she did it? How could he explain his frustration at these circumstances. Not that it was entirely her fault, in fact most of it was not. He tightened the hand on the opposite side of her into a hard fist as he thought about that bitch and the trouble she had caused for him, the trouble she was still causing.

Pyrrha didn't understand. Part of her soul was still on Remnant? How? Despite her previous hardened features, her eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of concern and fear. What did that mean? Was she trapped between two worlds forever? She took this moment to glance at the man, his gaze set on the dancing flames, the light reflecting the purple fluidness in his eyes. He almost looked as concerned as she did. Her voice uttered only one word, the confidence slipping from it. 

"How?"

He considered her a curious anomaly, and he turned his head to look down at her. 'It's not every day a human can transfer part of their soul into someone else." He stated simply, watching her eyes slowly widen in understanding and horror. Those words were the key and a click of realization hit her. She remembered now, the memory speeding back to her. Jaune. The forest. Unlocking his aura with her own. Her newly solid body shook with the knowledge of what had really happened. Their aura had mixed. Part of hers was in him. She looked up at her host, her eyes no longer hard and stern but wide and pleading for her new suspicion to be false.

"Does that mean, I have part of his?" She breathed the words out almost in a whisper, finding it hard to form the words. The room was suddenly spinning. Please don't let it be true, please let it be that she hadn't taken part of Jaune's soul when she died. Guilt was suffocating her every second she waited for his reply. She had caused Jaune so much pain as it was. Their last moments together still painfully stabbing in her chest. He nodded, looking at her now with a solemn understanding. He wasn't beyond showing sympathy when needed, having watched her entire life from birth and knowing her feelings for that particular blond human.

She hadn't considered anything like this. She hadn't considered the darkness odd. She hadn't considered that what happened after death should be nothing like this, until now. She had thought it couldn't get worse when she woke up in that black abyss. But this was so much worse.


	4. Chapter 3 Reconciliation

The weight of his words was crushing her from all sides, she couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. She had left Jaune not just in a flurry of newfound love and emotion but without half his soul also. How could she have been so stupid? She swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. Her throat was dry and constricted.

"So." The strange man stood tall once more, straightening back into his immaculately strict posture and looked at her with a sense of victory. "I assume you've changed your mind then. I'm giving you a chance Miss Nikos to redeem the things that have been taken from you. In return for your help of course. It's a classic case of 'You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.' really, and I'm a very powerful person to be in debt to you." A smirk grazed his thin pale lips, almost maddeningly.

Pyrrha seemed to snap back into the room as he spoke, she still didn't even know who he was and what he wanted from her. No matter what he was willing to offer her she wasn't going to blindly follow him. She needed her questions answered, she wasn't some pawn he could use at his disposal. A strange feeling surrounded her senses that she didn't quite understand. It was the feeling of familiarity? Or maybe a feeling of belonging? She brushed it off and re-hardened her eyes.

"And who are you then, if you are such a powerful person I'd like to know who I'm helping." Her statement was met with the fluid tone of his laughter and his eyes seemed to burn with that intense violet light. His smile cut through the shadows in the dimly lit room, the fire glinting off the sharpened edge of one of his canines as he grinned. She was truly scared of him, her bravado finally cracking. His aura was overwhelming, she'd never sensed anyone's as strong as his; not even Ozpin's. She began to understand who the person, or deity rather, was standing before her. Fairy tales and legends, she had learned, were always rooted in truth. The story of the maidens was her first wakeup call to that, this was her second.

The words she was taught as a child echoed in her head before he even began to speak them. _Before humanity existed there was a brother and sister born into the world, a god and goddess. They fought for eons for the control of Remnant, each battle causing more and more damage to the world. Their hatred for one another was unfathomable, each wanted to rule this world alone in their own way. Though they were twins, being born from one; they were as unlike as could be..._

 _Lightness meets dark, order meets chaos, joy meets misery._

"Lightness meets dark, order meets chaos, joy meets misery."

He began to pick up alongside her own thoughts and Pyrrha shook with the thought that he could hear her thoughts. "Destruction was rampant as the two constantly fought, who would rule this place? Who would govern its people? Both wanted the part, but neither of them could have it if it was destroyed. The planet laid in wastes, the moon already shattered into pieces at their hands. Finally the god had enough of his sister's disregard for the paradise they had been born to rule and locked her away where she could no longer infect Remnant with her darkness."

"And so Remnant was finally at peace, born again and flourishing with life. But may we never forget the goddess that shattered the moon, kept at bay by her brother so that we may live." She continued on while he watched, a self assertive smile still gracing his face. He was no saint by any means, but he had been gracious enough to rid this world of his wretched sister's toxicity. And of course, ruling it by himself wasn't an undesirable outcome either. He so enjoyed win win situations. When the legend was done there eyes were still locked in heavy silence, Pyrrha waited with baited breath for him to confirm what she now knew to be the truth.

"My name is Thanados." Any doubt she had was swept away as he confirmed who he was. The god of death was before her, the god who had ruled Remnant in the days before humanity existed and maybe even still did. The god who imprisoned his goddess sister and her darkness. And he was asking for her help. How could she deny him now? She felt as if she never had a choice to begin with, anger and regret burned inside her but she had no one to blame for her position; save for Cinder.

She turned her face away from him, her features softening in the warm glow. She was too tired to fight the god of death, she'd been fighting all her life. All she could do was agree to his terms, she had nothing else to lose and everything to gain. Again, either by reading her thoughts or by sensing her submission, he began to speak.

"Now that we have come to an understanding I'll tell you why I'm in need of your assistance." His voice was hard and biting with inner fury. He walked toward the empty chair across from her and sat, propping his elbows on the hard wooden surface. His fingers were laced together at his mouth and he looked at her on an equal playing ground. "And why you are the only human who can." Pyrrha fought not to shudder, her feelings of fulfilling a certain destiny coming back to her full-force. This was not what she had imagined when she thought of her destiny, but maybe it was exactly what destiny had planned for her. She just prayed this time she would be successful, she didn't want to find out what would happen to her if she failed the god of death. She had lost everything, her only other choice now was victory.


End file.
